Day Houses - Clifton College

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The House system is one of Clifton College’s great strengths.

It engenders a sense of belonging in all our pupils, and delivers outstanding individual care.

Each pupil is allocated to a single-sex House, which becomes their home-from-home. Pupils from different age groups can socialise, and older pupils take pride in encouraging the younger children.

Friendly rivalry is high and the sporting competitions, Inter-House Debating, House Play Festival and House Song Competition are some of the most anticipated events in the school calendar.

On entering Clifton College, all day pupils are allocated a House which becomes their home-from-home throughout their school life. Our day pupils are accommodated in single sex Houses, all with excellent study and recreational facilities. Our houses all sit round the corner from College Fields, where we hold many sporting events for the Prep School, and it has been named one of ‘Britain’s 50 nicest streets to live on’ by The Telegraph.

The day Houses have the same pastoral structure as the boarding Houses. In addition, each House has up to four non-residential tutors.

There are no distinctions in terms of status or opportunity between day and boarding pupils.

Academic lessons are held on Saturday mornings for day pupils, with sports fixtures against other schools for most pupils in the afternoon. It is this chance to be part of an active and fulfilling seven-days-a-week community that distinguishes Clifton College from other day schools in the city.

Below is some information about our day boarding, follow the link for more information about our full boarding houses click here

East Town

Founded in 1957, East Town prides itself on its warm, inviting and sociable atmosphere. Pupils from East Town have recently enjoyed particular success in academia, music, drama and sports.

The House runs many extracurricular activities, including barbeques, bowling, paintballing, and a biannual Masterchef competition. The House is also well known for its contribution to the House Unison Singing Competition.

Famous old boys include TV presenters John Inverdale, Chris Serle and Steve Scott.

Housemaster:
Nicholas Luker

Assistant Housemaster:
John Bobby

House motto:
Sol Semper Resurgit — “The sun always rises again”

Type:
Boys’ Day House

North Town

Founded as a day house in 1886, North Town is a vibrant and eclectic House with a strong House spirit and collective identity. The House has enjoyed notable academic and sporting success, as well as an impressive record in many other areas of College life, including music and art. In the last five years, North Town has had seven successful Oxbridge applicants.

Famous old boys include John Cleese and Sir Henry Newbolt, as well as the cricketer A.E.J. Collins who, in 1899, scored a record unbeaten innings of 628 in a House match.

Housemaster:
Christa Clark

Assistant Housemaster:
Matt Salter

House motto:
Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum – “No steps backward”

Type:
Boys’ Day House

South Town

Founded as a day house in 1874, The South Town retains a great sense of history, having been located in its original building since its foundation, and this tradition is represented in the team spirit of the members of the House today.

The house motto “together we are stronger” is encapsulated by the many house events and support the boys give towards each other. House competitions bring the ‘Green Army’ together and promotes teamwork and cooperation, as well as building life-long friendships.

Our aim is to encourage all the boys to participate fully in all aspects of school life so that they can enjoy and look back on a fulfilling experience at Clifton. We want everyone to reach their potential and leave the college as the best possible version of themselves.

Housemaster:
Andrew Wagstaff

Assistant Housemaster:
Grace Ball

House motto:
Vis Unita Fortior — “Together we are stronger”

Type:
Boys’ Day House

West Town

West Town was founded in 1991, as a House solely for day girls. In West Town it is hoped that all girls will reach their potential and will strive for excellence. Leadership and teamwork are prioritised, with the girls given many opportunities to organise events, activities and House competitions in a large variety of sports, drama, art, music, singing and debating. Girls are encouraged to take part in a wide range of new and familiar activities to help find their strengths and weaknesses, embrace an all-round education, broaden their horizons and develop new skills and friendships.

All Third Formers get the chance to have a sleep over in the House Hall in the first few weeks and there are outings to the theatre, cinema and restaurants. A great sense of pride in the House and an excellent work ethic pervades every year group, with many of our girls obtaining high grades and accepting offers to top universities. While our girls are very competitive and extremely successful, they are also tremendously supportive of one another.

Housemistress:
Sarah Johnson

Assistant Housemistress:
Kerris Wagstaff

House motto:
A posse ad esse — “From the possible to the actual”

Type:
Girls Day House

Hallward’s House

Opened in 2004, Hallward’s caters for a mixture of boarding, day-boarding and day girls, and prides itself on being a very happy, welcoming and flexible House. The girls here excel in many different areas, including sports, music and art, as well as more traditional academic studies, and all are encouraged to share their talents and encourage others.

We enjoy House trips to places such as Longleat and Warwick Castle, theatre trips to London, Bath and Bristol and encouragement to be fully involved in School activities, from sporting opportunities, the drama productions and LAMDA exams, right through to the debating teams and the art exhibitions.

Hallward’s girls enjoy the family atmosphere of the House and they certainly work hard, play hard and are keen to get involved in everything possible; they just love being here and sharing their House with each other, no matter which year group they are in.

Housemistress:
Emma Kenyon

Assistant Housemistress:
Ffion Evans

House motto:
Si vobis confiditis, mundus vobis erit — “Believe in yourself and the world is yours”

Type:
Girls’ Boarding & Day House

Holland’s House

Holland’s House is the fifth girls’ house, opening in September 2017 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of girls at Clifton College. Holland’s House has been named in honour of Louisa Percival, whose maiden name was Holland. In the 1870’s a co-educational school was unthinkable, but there was growing pressure for female education. John Percival, the founder of Clifton College, and his wife Louisa, were strong advocates and, in 1869, they opened the Bristol branch of the Association for the Promotion of the Higher Education of Women. Holland’s House, fittingly the first College House to be named after a woman, will honour Louisa’s forward thinking contributions to female education.

Although still a young House, Holland’s was quickly established by the girls who transferred from some of the other houses. The first group of girls were responsible for developing the house motto, top, tie and crest. Holland’s House continues to encourage pupils to try the new and the familiar, work as a team, be determined and be kind to others.

Type: Girls’ Day House

Housemistress:
Kirsty Willis

Assistant Housemistress:
Maria Bitschnau

House motto:
non ducor duco — “I am not led, I lead”

Type:
Girls’ Day House

Where next?

Boarding Houses